Maybe Someday
by DreamerLove15
Summary: Riley is torn by the fact that everyone in her class has been invited to Missy's Seventh Grade pool party bash, even Lucas. A turn of events shows that Lucas is unwilling to attend the pool party... unless Riley is invited, as well. When an embarrassing mishap occurs at the party, Lucas comes to Riley's rescue, and maybe just find the courage to do something else, too. One-shot.


_**I have been gone a LONG time... yikes. Forgive me. For all those Riley and Lucas shippers out there who really enjoyed **_**I Can't Breathe, ****_here's another one-shot for you guys. :)_**

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><p>"There has to be more than attending Missy's pool party," I sighed, frowning as Maya and I both lay on my bed, contemplating the cruelties and casualties of not being invited to one of the biggest Seventh Grade parties of the year. At least, <em>I <em>was contemplating. Maya couldn't care less about what people thought about her. I, on the other hand, cared too much about everything and everyone.

I wish I could stop.

"I just don't understand why we weren't invited," I continued, a bad taste forming in my mouth at the mere thought of our fellow classmates at Missy's house, in her large pool as some waiter serves them ice cold lemonade beverages, the kind in glass cups with little yellow umbrellas on toothpicks in them.

"Riley, you _hate _Missy," Maya laughed, rolling her eyes and sitting up, clutching her forehead as the blood rushed a little too quickly from her sudden body movement. "Why do you even give a hoot about whether or not we weren't invited?"

I bit my lip in frustration. She had a point there. The only thing that came to mind was selfish: because I wanted to be a part of that crowd. I wanted to a part of that event, of that moment that everyone would laugh about and remember and store into their memories for later. I opened my mouth to attempt to explain.

"Not being invited feels like... like a punch to the gut. A slap in the face. It's like the insinuation that I'm not worthy enough. That I'm not pretty enough or popular enough-"

"Popularity doesn't matter in the long run, you doofus," Maya reminded me, walking over to my window sill to observe the hustle and bustle of vehicles below whizzing through the street. "But..."

My eyebrows rose in astonishment. Maya never had a "but" in her arguments. It had always been a sort of _I am right and that is that _type of conversation. "But?" I asked, rushing over to take a seat next to her.

She sighed, running her fingers through her wavy blonde curls. She groaned in annoyance, then said slowly, "Missy isn't done handing out invitations. Tomorrow is the last day, so... there may be hope for you, honey."

My eyes lit up, and I squealed. My first ever official party. How I longed to be handed the invitation, to open the envelope and see my name printed in fancy font, to be wanted and accepted by my peers. Clapping my hands together, I settled my head comfortably on Maya's shoulder, grinning. "Can I borrow your blue and white two piece?" I murmured.

She faked shock, her mouth hanging wide open and her eyes widening. "A two piece? Riley Matthews, whatever happened to your purple one piece?"

We looked at one another for a moment, then fell into a fit of giggles and laughter, wheezing as the world moved on below us on the New York City streets.

* * *

><p>My palms were sweating as I sat down at our usual lunch table. The peas and hamburger on my tray were unappetizing. The smell of the beef made me sick. My eyes flitted desperately around the cafeteria until they locked onto the person I was looking for: Missy, the Evil Queen herself. Missy, who held a basket of white envelopes. White, the color of sophistication and maturity, two characteristics I lacked. I straightened my spine and stuck out my chest, hoping I looked regal enough to be invited to the pool party. This was the last day, after all.<p>

This was my last chance.

I felt an unanticipated motion to my left and turned around, only to be greeted by the ease of Lucas' smile and brightness in his eyes. I felt my breath catch at how close he was to me, and gulped. Once my instincts snapped back to reality, I inched away from him, clearing my throat. It was times like these where the boy caught me off guard. Sometimes Lucas would look at me a certain way or say something in a certain way that made my insides warm up and turn to jello.

Other times, he was normal. Whatever normal meant.

"Lucas," I said, nodding my head at him, hoping he didn't notice the strong flush in my cheeks.

"Riley," he replied, dazzling me with his smile. I scowled at him. He laughed, getting the message and stopping. I felt a shadow hover above our table. We both looked up. My jello insides froze.

"Lucas," Missy drawled, a hand placed purposely on her hip to flaunt the curves that she had. Her eyes flickered amusingly towards me, looking at me up and down. I felt the humiliation burning through my face as her eyes magnified the curves I did _not _yet hold. I watched as her french manicured fingertips reached into her basket to pull out a white envelope. The beating of my heart thudded against my rib cage, sending a pounding drilling through my head.

Where was Maya when I needed her to reassure me? Instead I felt Lucas inch closer to me, his hip knocking against mine. Dread doused over me as Missy's hand extended the envelope next to Lucas, who seemed to freeze next to me. I looked at his face, which had gone slack, his brows knitted in confusion. Had he not expected to be invited?

By the startled expression upon his face, I assumed not.

Missy's pearly white teeth stunned my vision and made me feel smaller, almost like the child she made me feel I was. I looked down at my lap, biting my lip in embarrassment. What had I been thinking? The possibility of me being invited to Missy's pool party was ludicrous. I should have never held any expectations whatsoever. The disappointment sinking into my bones was too much to bear. I gripped onto my tray, getting up from the lunch table, when I felt Lucas' hand grip onto my arm, pulling me back down. The envelope was still in Missy's hand. I looked at him in surprise, completely lost.

"Here," Missy insisted. "Your invitation."

"I'll only go if my friend can go, too," Lucas said. It was almost as if the wind had been knocked out of me. My eyes grew wide at his offer. Missy seemed to be turning a pleasant shade of tomato red. I watched her fingers grip onto the envelope, crumpling it a slight. This was not part of her plan. She had wanted Lucas, and Lucas alone. Not Lucas with his sidekicks. I smiled triumphantly at her, waiting patiently for the verdict.

"Maya and Farkle, too," Lucas added. I kicked his foot beneath the table, warning him that this additional offer might be pushing it. Lucas placed a hand on my knee to ensure my pessimistic thoughts. I flinched, his hand burning my knee as if his fingers were on fire. He quickly removed it.

"What about us?" Farkle asked, him and Maya entering the cafeteria and walking towards our lunch table, almost as if on cue. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep us from laughing.

"We're all going to Missy's pool party," Lucas said, smiling mischievously. His eyes glimmered. Missy narrowed her own at the four of us, then glared especially at Lucas, throwing the envelope onto the table with a smack.

"Fine," she hissed, turning on her heel and walking away, hips swaying. As soon as she was out of hearing range, I grinned and squealed. I could no longer contain my excitement. I could already smell the hotdogs sizzling on the grill, the taste of the umbrella lemonade, and the accidentally swallowed chlorine water as I dived head first into Missy's pool.

Maya groaned. This meant she would now have to unearth that blue and white two piece for me, not to mention dig through her closet for the navy blue one piece she often sported on summer trips to the pool of her apartment complex. Farkle began to babble about swim trunks and the history of swimming pools, including who invented them. Lucas simply looked at me, the smile still plastered onto his face, his hip knocking against mine once more.

This time, I let him leave it there.

* * *

><p>Missy's house was jam packed as Maya and I squeezed our way through the crowd. The party held more to offer than I had thought. Not only was there a grill being handled in the backyard, but a DJ near the ten inch deep blue waters, as well. The <em>1989 <em>Taylor Swift album was blaring through the speakers.

Maya had to yell through all the noise as the lyrics cranked through the air.

_Heartbreak is the national anthem  
>We sing it proudly<em>

"Where's the Barbie Doll hostess herself?" Maya asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know," I declared. "Maybe she's doing hostess-y duties."

I couldn't imagine being in charge of this raging pool party. I was surprised Dad had even let me attend. Perhaps it had something to do with my constant participation lately in class.

"When are you going to take that towel off?" Maya said, nudging her chin towards the yellow and white striped towel wrapped around my body. I fidgeted, wrapping it tighter around me. This would be the first time I'd wear a two piece around people besides Maya and my family. Of course I felt nervous and awkward about taking the towel off. Besides, there were _boys _here.

Boys who would scrutinize the way I looked and compare it to Barbie Doll Hostess Missy, who seemed to fill out in all areas. I, on the other hand, was still patiently waiting to develop a chest.

"When I want to swim," I mumbled. "Come on. Let's go that way."

I took a step forward but collided into a warm body. Looking up, I felt a heat creep up my neck. It was Lucas I had stumbled into. Shirtless. Lucas was shirtless in his blue swim trunks. Farkle stood beside him, also shirtless, yet I didn't feel a heat creeping up my neck when I looked at Farkle. Why was that, I wondered.

"Hey," Lucas breathed, smiling. He really needed to stop doing that. I sent a weak grin back. The muscles around my mouth couldn't move properly. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Lucas was without a shirt.

"Hi," I squeaked in reply. Maya wiggled her eyebrows at me, and I shot her a look to stop before Lucas noticed. "How are you liking the party?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's really loud," he yelled as another Taylor Swift song began to play. "But it's fun."

"I'm parched," Maya bluntly announced. Farkle lit up like a sparkler, then grabbed her by the hand as he dragged her to the beverages table, where the umbrella lemonade cups awaited them. Maya shot me a knowing look, winking. Lucas and I stood awkwardly in the center of chaos. Why were we always boring lumps? Why couldn't things ever be entirely comfortable, with no silent gaps amidst conversation. I threw back my shoulders and stuck out my chest.

"Have you gone swimming yet?" I asked. He nodded, grabbing my hand and leading it to his head. Wet hair. I let out a laugh. "How deep can you go in the pool?"

"Pretty deep," he answered. A girl running by brushed roughly past Lucas' shoulder, knocking him into me. My eyes searched his face for an imperfection, but found nothing. "Really deep."

I felt my eyelashes fluttering in a bad attempt to look alluring, and Lucas noticed, laughing. I blushed, sending him a cheeky smile instead. His hand cradled my elbow. When did that happen?

"Lucas," a voice screeched. A handful of people halted in conversation as their eyes followed Missy's fast travel towards us. She wore a neon pink two piece, her hair tied into a sleek pony tail. I stepped away from Lucas, removing his hand from my elbow. He shot me a confused look. I felt the shame creeping back into my veins. This was Missy's house. She had already invited me to her pool party unwillingly. I had to stop this thing with Lucas while we were still in her presence. She shot me an icy glare when she reached us, then sent a sickly sweet smile to Lucas.

"I'm so sorry I haven't gotten the chance to say hello," she sighed, fanning her face with her hand. "There are just _so _many people here. I wasn't expecting them _all _to come."

_Fake, fake, fake, _my conscience chanted. I told it to shut up.

"But you handed out the invitations yourself," Lucas retorted. I fought a smile as I looked up at him in admiration. For a boy, he was really good at being oblivious to the fact that she was trying to impress him... and failing.

"Well," she said, "I had to let in a few desperate people, you know." Her eyes flickered towards me. A chill ran up my spine. "It's funny, really, how badly some people want to be a part of this." She swept her arm across the pool, the grill, the DJ. "It's a world you rarely get to see."

Lucas opened his mouth to cut her off but she beat him to it. I waited with bated breath for her harsh words.

"But just because some people get to take a glimpse, doesn't mean they're actually a _part _of it," she said. Her eyes were trained on me now, and I wondered how cruel a thirteen year old girl could truly be. She inched her way towards me, taking careful steps. I felt myself moving backwards, away from her cold, harsh stare.

"Missy-" Lucas said, stepping in, but by then she had me backed up to the edge of the pool, until I lost balance, my arms flailing until I fell backwards. Chlorine burned my throat and I gagged at the taste. My eyes searched the surface, realizing that I was in the deep end. Ten feet. I had never learned how to swim this deep. I shut my eyes, finding it hard to breathe.

But then a pair of strong hands found my waist, lifting us up until we were back on land. The music had stopped blaring. The party came to a hush. The atmosphere around me seemed to be shaking until I realized it was me, shivering violently. Lucas ushered me into the hallway. I looked back, watching as Maya yelled a slur of words that were sure to get her detention if this fight had been done on school grounds. A new towel was wrapped around me now, a dark navy blue one. I saw a name on it.

_Lucas Friar  
>Swim<em>

"You were on the swim team?" I whispered as he led me to the hallway. He nodded. I felt my eyes growing teary, the numbness dissolving as I replayed Missy guiding me purposely into the pool. I imagined my towel coming off right away. I imagined Lucas scrutinizing my small frame, along with the other boys present at the party. I imagine heinous laughter from my peers. A sob escaped my mouth as I sunk to the floor, my knees hugged tightly against my chest.

Why did I come? Why did I have to care so much?

I wish I could stop.

Lucas wrapped an arm around me, strong and warm, rubbing my shoulder. "Riley, it's okay," he murmured, tucking a strand of wet hair behind my ear.

"It's not okay," I sobbed. "I just fell into the pool in front of all of our classmates. And my two piece..." The tears were coming faster now. I was ashamed. Lucas removed his arm from around me, moving to a crouching position directly in front of me. His hands moved to my face, his palms cradling my tear stained cheeks. I sniffled.

"Everyone hates Missy," he reminded me. "Everyone loves you. Don't you see that, Riley?"

I shook my head. "I'm just this small little thing," I hiccuped.

"No," he said fiercely. "You're not some small little thing. Riley, you are so much more than you're even aware of. You stand up for your friends. You're brave and... and..."

My eyes were dry now. "And...?"

His mouth opened and closed like a flopping fish. "...and you're beautiful," he blurted out. "The most beautiful girl in our entire class, and it's just so frustrating that you can't see that." His fingertips traced my hairline, his eyes scanning my face. "You want to be a part of everything, and even if it's impossible you still try and you still hope. And that's why you're beautiful to me."

I blinked in shock. Lucas thought _I _was the most beautiful girl in our class? _Me? _With my flat chested, brunette headed self that worried too much about what other people thought of her? How was that considered beautiful?

"That is the most you've ever said to me," I laughed. "Ever."

He scratched the back of his head nervously, grinning. "Yeah, I find it hard to talk to you sometimes."

"_I _find it hard to talk to _you_, crazy," I said, my eyebrows rising in astonishment. "You're just so..."

"So...?" he asked, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"...so cute," I mumbled, biting my lip in embarrassment.

"In case it's not already obvious, I like you," he said, looking everywhere but me. I frown, taking his chin in my fingers and forcing him to look directly at me.

"Try again, Lucas Friar," I demanded, feeling suddenly confident. He cleared my throat.

"I really like you, Riley Matthews," he sighed. "Okay?"

I smiled. "Okay," I said, and before I could lose the nerve, I leaned in to kiss him, short and sweet, a simple peck on his lips. I pulled away quickly, not expecting him to lean forward and kiss me again, this time longer.

And perhaps this was the only acceptance I needed: to be accepted by my family and by my friends... and by Lucas, with his lips pressed against mine. And maybe someday down the line, I wouldn't need to feel accepted.

Maybe someday I could stop.


End file.
